Hey everyone! I’m over the moon excited to welcome Marcia Meara as my guest today. She recently released The Light, the fourth in her Wake Robin Ridge Series. Marcia is a very talented author, and if you haven’t read any of her books, I highly recommend you doing so.

Today she’s going to talk about her new book and a mysterious phenomenon called the Brown Mountain Lights. You may recall some time ago I wrote about the Marfa Lights which are found in far west Texas, so I’m very intrigued.

Take it away, Marcia!

Thank you so much for having me here today, Joan! I’m pretty excited to be sharing the release of my latest book, The Light: Wake-Robin Ridge Book 4, with your readers, and I hope they’ll enjoy checking it out, along with the first three books in the series:

Wake-Robin Ridge

A Boy Named Rabbit

Harbinger

Happy New Year to All!

I can’t remember when I first heard about the infamous Brown Mountain Lights, but the writer in me instantly fell in love with the very idea of such an unexplained phenomenon in this day and age. A Blue Ridge Mountain ridge with mysterious lights that hover above it on random nights, then disappear with no explanation? Oh, the endless possibilities for use in a shivery story—especially one already set in those mountains, involving a little boy with a special gift and all sorts of Appalachian legends and ghosts! All I could think was, “Let the research begin!”

And so, it did.

Days later I finally reached a definite conclusion about the Brown Mountain Lights. Nobody knows for sure what they are. Period.

Theories have run amok for a very, very long time, ranging from swamp gas to ball lightning to alien life forms, and most have been easily shot down. But over the decades, not one person has proved conclusively what causes these strange lights or why they only appear on random, seemingly unrelated occasions.

A few serious studies were carried out, but the results are less than satisfying. Recent ones suggest the lights are the result of distant trains and automobiles. Really? That would surely surprise the Cherokee people since—long before trains or automobiles existed in this country—they’ve believed them to be the spirits of warriors lost in battle.

As for myself, I have no idea what causes these strange, entrancing lights, but oddly enough, Rabbit’s thoughts on the matter echo mine. 😊 I believe we’ll solve the mystery someday, and it will likely turn out to be a natural occurrence of one sort or another. After all, we are learning new things about nature every day, so that wouldn’t surprise me a bit.

In the meantime, I thought it would be fun to have Rabbit ask to see the lights for himself, so I sent the Cole family off on a Halloween night expedition. Suffice it to say, Rabbit got more than he bargained for, and the experience was the beginning of a brand-new mystery I hope you’ll find intriguing.

Blurb:

The Magic is Back!

For Robert MacKenzie Cole—or Rabbit, as he’s known to all—the chance to accompany his family to see North Carolina’s infamous Brown Mountain Lights has him nearly dizzy with excitement. And what better night to watch this unexplained phenomenon unfold than Halloween?

But when the entrancing, unpredictable lights show up, Rabbit gets far more than he bargained for. He’s gifted with what folks in the Appalachians call “the Sight,” and it’s this extrasensory perception that enables him to spot the one light different from all the rest.

In his biggest challenge to date, Rabbit—aided by his daddy and his newest friend, Austin Dupree— begins a quest to learn more about the mysterious light. Their investigation unveils a web of cons and corruption none of them expected and exposes a brutal murder along the way.

Throughout all, Rabbit is unfaltering in his commitment to do whatever it takes to understand the truth behind the glowing orb and to determine how he can help it. After all, it followed him home.

Bio:

Marcia Meara lives in central Florida, just north of Orlando, with her husband of over thirty years, four big cats, and one small dachshund.

When not writing or blogging, she spends her time gardening and enjoying the surprising amount of wildlife that manages to make a home in her suburban yard. She enjoys nature. Really, really enjoys it. All of it! Well, almost all of it, anyway. From birds to furry critters, to her very favorites, snakes. The exception would be spiders, which she truly loathes, convinced that anything with eight hairy legs is surely up to no good. She does not, however, kill spiders anymore, since she knows they have their place in the world. Besides, her husband now handles her Arachnid Catch and Release Program, and she’s good with that.

Spiders aside, the one thing Marcia would like to tell each of her readers is that it’s never too late to make your dreams come true. If, at the age of 69, she could write and publish a book (and thus fulfill 64 years of longing to do that very thing), you can make your own dreams a reality, too. Go for it! What have you got to lose?

Marcia has published seven novels, two novellas, and one book of poetry to date, all of which are available on Amazon:

I have never heard of the brown lights..another wonderful natural phenomenon so many unexplained but it adds to the wonder for me…Congrats on your new book, Marcia…So many lovely comments your books sound so well loved ❤

Thanks so much for sharing Marcia’s new book, Joan. And I love the Brown Mountain Lights and that nobody knows what they are. What a perfect backdrop to a story. Congrats to Marcia. I love her writing. 🙂

How lovely to hear that, Diana! The feeling is mutual, too. And I hope you get a chance to check out Rabbit’s latest adventure. Those Brown Mountain Lights were irresistible to this little boy! 😀 Thanks for your kind comments and for stopping by today! 🙂 ❤

Thanks so much, Debby! It’s a great way to get the New Year started, that’s for sure. Hope you get a chance to read this one and will enjoy it. I had a lot of fun with it, for sure! Thanks for stopping by and saying hi! 🙂 ❤

Thank you so much, Bette! I’m so happy to have this one wrapped up and “out there!” Hope you get a chance to check it out one day and that you enjoy it, if you do. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by to say hi! 🙂 ❤

Excellent synopsis of the new book and explanation of the Brown Mountain Lights, which I’ve never heard of (I guess because I’ve just lived on the East and/or West coasts). Fascinating, and I agree, Marcia, an excellent mystery to add to the next of your excellent Wake-Robin Ridge series. Much success to you.

Thanks so much, Pam. I hope everyone who decides to check it out will thoroughly enjoy it. I know writing it was a trip and a half! 😀 And thanks for stopping by today and taking a minute to say hi! I really appreciate it. 🙂 ❤

I came across the first Wake-Robin Ridge book just over two years ago and liked it so much I went straight on to the second book. It’s one of those rare series that just gets better and better and The Light is superb. Rabbit is one of those characters that comes alive off the page and burrows into your heart. I’ve come under his spell and I defy anyone else not to be smitten by him! This book ticks all the requirements for a great read – it has sparkling humour, a wonderfully woven plot, a smattering of tragedy, edge-of-your-seat intrigue and suspense, and a superb feel for family and for its evil counterpoint. Can you tell that I’m a fan?!

Thank you so much, Trish! It’s absolutely wonderful to know there are folks out there who love these books like you do! I’d write them just for you alone! And I’m glad you enjoy the range of emotions I try to include. I don’t even know if I’m capable of writing a book that doesn’t have funny (to me) bits here and there. And just thinking that at least some readers will laugh at them makes me feel good. Of course, I feel good when other parts make them cry too, so what can I say? I guess it’s that I like moving readers to laughter, or tears, or any other strong emotion.

Thank you for stopping by today and sharing your thoughts. I still have to go post an update on the beta blog, but it has been a very busy day. And I have a feeling 2020 is just going to get busier and busier over the weeks ahead. Hopefully in only GOOD ways this year! 😀 ❤

I am very intrigued! I’ve never heard of this and love all the theories. I live on a mountain where unexplained lights have been seen, too. It does trigger lots of ideas. Can’t wait to read this series;)

Those lights are enough to intrigue lots of folks, I think. I hope we do get an answer some day, though at the same time, it will probably take away a lot of the magic. Or who knows? Maybe it will add to it! Thanks for stopping by Denise, and I hope you get a chance to read the series soon. I’ll be looking forward to seeing what you think. 🙂 ❤

Thanks so much, Robbie! I’m especially glad you liked the poetry, as it has always been important to me. I’ve been thinking lately I should write some more. (I’ll do that in my spare time, shall I? 😀 ) I’m glad you enjoyed Swamp Ghosts, and hope someday you’ll get a chance to finish that series. But I understand how limited reading time is, and especially when you have children at home keeping you busy, plus all of your baking. I get hungry every time I see your beautiful edibles! Enjoy Wake-Robin Ridge when you get to it, and then maybe one day you’ll meet the little boy who changed it all. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by today! 🙂 ❤

Thanks so much for sharing, P.H. And I do think some of the theories have included Druids, along with various paranormal things. Rabbit doesn’t buy it. (Probably because I don’t either. 😀 ) I think we’ll figure it out one day, and it will be something unusual but not belonging to another realm or such.

The Brown Mountain lights are very interesting, Craig. (I’ve heard there’s a new book out that touches on the phenomenon. Something about wake-robins and rabbits, I think. :D) Seriously, if you Google Brown Mountain, you’ll see lots of theories floating around, not one of which holds up to close scrutiny. And there are a few blurry pictures here and there, as they are apparently pretty hard to photograph. Also, check Wiseman’s View. It’s the most popular overlook with a view of the lights.

I think one of the reasons it’s so hard to get good pics of them is because there seems to be no rhyme or reason to which nights they’ll appear on, nor how long they’ll stay visible before shooting off in various directions, or floating up, up, up until the blink out of sight. SO odd!

The really cool thing is that there are still totally natural, unexplained or undiscovered things, including animals and habitats. And as our methods of researching and collecting data improve, we learn new stuff daily. There are things I learned about various Florida critters years ago which have only recently been disproved. I find I have to go through my repeat programs and be sure they are updated to reflect the latest observations and data collected. And then you get something like these lights which don’t appear to fit anywhere at all. It will be interesting to see when (and IF) they ever figure them out. 🙂

I loved The Light. Heck, I loved the whole WRR series, but The Light is my favorite. I really enjoyed the tie in to the Brown Mountain Lights (which I have scheduled on my Wednesday Weirdness post tomorrow).

I highly recommend the series and, especially, The Light to anyone who is looking for an intriguing and heartwarming story. Loved it!

Thanks so much, Mae! It’s a real treat for me to know how much you’ve enjoyed these books. And you and I are like the newest character in the series, Austin Dupree, when it concerns our interest in unexplained phenomena. You have me beat with all your research, for sure. I mean, I did NOT know about blue people before starting your Hode’s Hill series! But I do enjoy the weird stuff and will definitely be checking out your post tomorrow. Thanks for recommending the Wake-Robin Ridge books (especially now that you know what a wake-robin IS!) 😀 I so appreciate your support! 🙂 ❤

I can’t believe I’ve never heard of the Brown Mountain Lights – so you know I have to look this up. Congrats on the new release, Marcia! I’m hoping to start book 2 of this series soon and am looking forward to meeting Rabbit.

Thanks so much, Teri! I do hope you enjoy meeting Rabbit. He’s been such fun to write, and seems to be a favorite among my readers, happily. And the Brown Mountain lights are really cool. And weird. While they are only a jumping off point for the main mystery in The Light, they were great fun to include. Hope you’ll enjoy the rest of the series, when you’re able to get to it. 🙂 ❤

I’m visiting with Joan Hall today, talking about the mysterious Brown Mountain lights and how they relate to my new book, The Light: Wake-Robin Ridge Book 4. Hope you’ll stop by to say hi, and learn a bit more about this unexplained mystery. And before you leave, please remember to share far and wide if possible. Thanks. And thanks again to Joan for letting me visit today! 🙂 ❤

Thank you so much for having me over today, Joan. It’s lovely to visit with you and your followers, and especially fun to share a bit about the Brown Mountain lights. Someday, someone will have conclusive proof as to what they are, I suspect, but for now, the fun is in the mystery. And Rabbit is fine with that, too. It’s the other light that worries him most, with good reason.

I’m super excited about this book, too, because it brings some new characters into the lives of the Cole family, and as always, Rabbit’s impact on each of them is far more than they ever expected it. It’s wonderful to have your help in letting folks know about this new mountain tale, and I hope they’ll check it out. It can be read as a stand-alone, but far better to read where Rabbit came from and how he learned to use his gift. I’ll just add that out of all my characters to date, my readers invariably pick the little boy with the great big gift as their favorite.

Thanks again for inviting me over today, Joan. I’ll be looking forward to your thoughts when you have a chance to read this series. I hope you’ll come to love the characters as much as I do! 🙂 ❤

The Brown Mountain lights intrigue me. We have something similar in far west Texas called the Marfa lights. No one knows what causes them and like the Brown Mountain lights, people have suggested automobiles. But those weren’t around in the 1800s when the lights were first discovered. So it’s a mystery as to what causes them.

It’s a pleasure to host you today, Marcia, and I look forward to reading this series!

I can’t wait to see what you think of the little boy who usurped an entire romantic suspense series! 😀 Hopefully, you’ll enjoy Sarah and Mac’s story in Book 1, and then will fall under Rabbit’s spell when he’s introduced in Book 2. He has a story to tell, all right, thought I never dreamed just how important he’d turn out to be. Characters can do that now and then, can’t they? Sneak into your books and take over the whole shebang! 😀 And once again, thanks for letting me visit here today! 🙂 ❤

I hope you’ll enjoy it, Priscilla. It was my first writing endeavor and I thought it was going to be a one-time thing, so I threw everything I could at that story. 😀 And before I knew what was happening, it turned into a series and went off in a whole ‘nuther direction, as we say down here. 😀 Thanks for stopping by and taking a moment to comment. 🙂 ❤

I hope you enjoy this one when you have a chance to check it out, Jaye. I had a lot of fun with the tale, especially introducing some new characters, at least two of which will impact Rabbit’s life for a long time to come. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by today and taking the time to comment. Happy reading! 🙂 ❤

I hope you’ll enjoy this one when you get a chance to check it out, Janet. In spite of all the disruptions that slowed down my writing time, I thoroughly enjoyed telling this tale. I’ll be eager to see what you think of Rabbit’s latest adventure and his newest friends. Thanks for stopping by and taking a moment to comment! 🙂 ❤